Mighty Herbal Infused Olive Oil
If you love to drizzle herbal-infused extra virgin olive oil all over your food, then this recipe is for you.
Olive oil has always been revered, not only for its flavour but also for its wonderful nutritional benefits. It is one of the healthiest fats on the planet and it’s rich in oleic acid for healthy skin, brain and heart.
In this recipe, extra-virgin olive oil is infused with aromatic and polyphenol-rich herbs to bolster its antioxidant value, which helps to keep our body and brain cells healthy and well.
These herbs also all have anti-microbial properties, and this infused olive oil can be used therapeutically to help rebalance your gut flora and to help with overall immunity.
It is perfect for children who are fussy eaters, and you can fry with it or drizzle the infused olive oil over plain pasta, pizza, toast or risotto.
My home-made blend is effortless to prepare and makes an excellent addition to your kitchen. So, you always have some ready to gently fry onions or an omelette, or simply to drizzle over your roasted vegetables, salads or soups for a nutritious boost of flavour.
These infused olive oil bottles also look beautiful, and they would make wonderful presents.
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Mighty Herbal Infused Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Citric Acid
- 500 ml Olive Oil ((extra virgin))
- 4 sprigs Rosemary
- 4 sprigs Oregano
- 16 sprigs Thyme
- 8 cloves Garlic
Stir 1 tablespoon citric acid into 500ml of water. This makes around a 3% citric acid solution.
Crush or quarter the garlic cloves and immerse these with the rosemary, oregano and thyme sprigs for 24 hours in the 500ml of citric acid solution. Then drain the citric acid.
Prepare and sterilise your glass bottles as per the instructions in the notes below, which takes 15 minutes plus cooling time.
Pop the prepared garlic, rosemary, oregano and thyme sprigs to the bottle, aging a wooden spoon handle to press them down to the bottom of the glass bottle.
Pour on the olive oil, ensuring that the herbs are fully submerged in the oil.
Secure the lid and allow to her herbs and olive oil to infuse for 10 days (you can use the olive oil sooner, but you will get less of the antimicrobial and polyphenol oomph).
If possible, remove the garlic and sprigs of herbs at this point from the bottle to increase the shelf life of the oil. If you keep the herbs in the bottle, ensure they are always covered by oil.
Use can use one 500ml bottle or two 250ml glass bottles. I used two 250ml bottles.
Ensure that the glass bottles are fully sterilised before starting. To sterilise the bottles, wash well in hot and soapy water. Rinse the glass thoroughly, then place it into an oven at 160 °C for 15 minutes. Remove carefully with tongs and leave to air dry on a clean tea towel.
The oil can be safely stored at room temperature, but ideally, store the infused olive oil in your fridge.
It is vital to do the citric acid phase; otherwise, infused olive oils using fresh herbs can be a source of Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
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